If you like to endure pain like only shopping for tools can inflict then you can commiserate. Last post i had the vice and file holder made and i had jointed my 4.5 ppi rip saw. I Got a bunch of gear in required for my mission and i was waiting on my order of Simonds files to come in. Today i took delivery of 3 of the 4 boxes and of course the 8” regular taper file, needed for this saw, was the undelivered item. Another week. Sweet.

So, not the most expert on files i figure we can talk about what makes a good file? What we notice between the Simonds and the Nicholsons i have in the same size and whatever else you wanna talk about.

I noticed that the tangs on the Nichys (top) are miscolored like you can see all different heating colors and not as well shaped as the red tanged Simonds.

The taper at the tip of these 6” x slim is slightly different. Simonds on the right.

You cant see it but the cutting edge of the of the simonds extends, at the edges only, all the way to the tip of the file. The Nichy does not.

-- "there aren’t many hand tools as awe-inspiring as the #8 jointer. I mean, it just reeks of cast iron heft and hubris" - Smitty

Well I could swap out saws in the vice and get going on a different saw but im really heart set on starting with a coarse toothed rip saw. I looked at my 8 ppi D7 last night and its too far gone to even attempt a sharpening. No plate left, ungodly wavy tooth line and kinked up pretty good. Looks like ill scab the saw nuts, medallion and handle for salvage. Maybe ill cut it down into a back saw or something. Ill remain patient and wait until next week to sharpen the shovel ready 4 1/2 ppi saw. In the mean time ill do some more learnin …

-- "there aren’t many hand tools as awe-inspiring as the #8 jointer. I mean, it just reeks of cast iron heft and hubris" - Smitty

Kevin – The reason the teeth on the edge extend past the teeth on the face at the point is so that they clean the filings out of the gullets at the start of each stroke before the teeth on the face start cutting again. Once upon a time, all files were cut like that. Not a huge issue, but it is one of the many details that together make a quality saw file.